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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004): A-
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, music video wunderkind Michel Gondry’s wonderful new film based on a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation), has a premise so good, so original and yet so universal, that it’s hard to believe no one ever thought of it before. Reclusive nebbish Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) has…
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Hairspray (1988): A-
John Waters’ affinity for the weird, wild, and whacked-out took more mainstream form in 1988’s Hairspray, a loving ode to early ‘60s music, fat chicks, and racial and sexual tolerance. Waters’ dedication to period detail reveals a fetishistic fascination with the artificial, whether it be “The Corny Collins Show” – a cheeky, brightly colored version…
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Pink Flamingos (1972): B
Pink Flamingos is vile, disgusting, and outrageous – in other words, just as John Waters wanted it. The film, about two monstrous women competing for the title of “Filthiest Person Alive,” is a carnival of weirdoes, outcasts, and deviants that’s custom-designed to offend. The amazing thing, however, is that even in our current age of…
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Nick’s Semi-Arbitrary Best and Worst of 2003 Awards
I hate “Best of” lists, mainly because they require me to prioritize my favorite films of the year in a way I otherwise wouldn’t. I have no clue which film was #3 this year and which was #6, and I don’t really care. Nonetheless, in the spirit of the season, here’s my list of the…
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Published Film Reviews – 2004
12/27/04 – The Assassination of Richard Nixon (filmcritic.com) 12/27/04 – Meet the Fockers (Slant magazine) 12/12/04 – Spanglish (Slant magazine) 12/12/04 – The Aviator (Slant magazine) 12/12/04 – Blade: Trinity (Slant magazine) 11/22/04 – National Treasure (Slant magazine) 11/22/04 – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead DVD (Slant magazine) 11/22/04 – Enduring Love (filmcritic.com) 11/14/04 –…
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Published Film Reviews – 2003
12/22/03 – Osama (filmcritic.com) 12/12/03 – The Statement (Nitrate Online) 12/9/03 – Love Don’t Cost a Thing (Slant magazine) 12/5/03 – The Last Samurai (Slant magazine) 12/2/03 – Cheaper by the Dozen (Slant magazine) 12/2/03 – Once Upon a Time in the West (Slant magazine) 11/21/03 – The Cat in the Hat (Nitrate Online) 11/5/03…
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Published DVD Reviews – 2003
11/2/03 – They Drive By Night DVD (Slant magazine) 8/22/03 – Soylent Green DVD (Slant magazine) 8/13/03 – The Thing From Another World DVD (Slant magazine) 7/8/03 – The Right Stuff DVD (Slant magazine) 6/7/03 – Dances with Wolves DVD (Slant magazine) 5/31/03 – Kandahar DVD (Slant magazine) 5/31/03 – Death and the Maiden DVD…
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In the Cut (2003): D
(Originally posted on 3/10/04) In the Cut, Jane Campion’s grimy, misogynistic faux-murder mystery seems stuck in a time warp. From Mark Ruffalo’s ‘70s porn star moustache and the grungy New York City setting to the film’s offensive and outdated notions of female sexuality, the film is like a long-lost relic from an earlier period best…
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Tightrope (1984): B
(Originally posted on 3/7/04) Richard Tuggle helmed 1984’s Tightrope, but the film’s modest construction seems to confirm rumors that star Clint Eastwood had a hand in directing this psychological thriller. The jazzy score, the even-handed mixture of establishing shots and close-ups, and the film’s opening shot over the Louisiana coast (which seems to foreshadow a…
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Day of the Dead (1985): B-
(Originally posted on 3/7/04) Day of the Dead, the final chapter of George A. Romero’s zombie trilogy (which also includes Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead), had fans demanding a piece of the director’s flesh when it was released in 1985. Fanboys wanted more tension and suspense, art film connoisseurs wanted…
